Dodge Ram Truck 1500-2500-3500. Manual — part 558

REMOVAL

WARNING: To avoid personal injury or death, on vehicles equipped with airbags, disable the supplemental
restraint system before attempting any steering wheel, steering column, airbag, seat belt tensioner, impact
sensor, or instrument panel component diagnosis or service. Disconnect and isolate the battery negative
(ground) cable, then wait two minutes for the system capacitor to discharge before performing further diag-
nosis or service. This is the only sure way to disable the supplemental restraint system. Failure to take the
proper precautions could result in accidental airbag deployment.

NOTE: Before starting this procedure, be certain to turn the steering wheel until the front wheels are in the
straight-ahead position.

1. Place the front wheels in the straight ahead posi-

tion.

2. Disconnect and isolate the battery negative cable.

3. Remove the driver airbag from the steering wheel.

(Refer to 8 - ELECTRICAL/RESTRAINTS/DRIVER
AIRBAG - REMOVAL).

4. Disconnect the steering wheel wire harness con-

nectors from the upper clockspring connector
receptacles.

CAUTION: Be certain that the screws that secure
the steering wheel puller to the steering wheel are
fully engaged in the steering wheel armature with-
out passing through the steering wheel and dam-
aging the clockspring.

5. Remove the steering wheel from the steering col-

umn. (Refer to 19 - STEERING/COLUMN/STEER-
ING WHEEL - REMOVAL).

6. Remove the steering column opening cover from the instrument panel. (Refer to 23 - BODY/INSTRUMENT PAN-

EL/STEERING COLUMN OPENING COVER - REMOVAL).

7. Grasp the tilt steering column knob (2) firmly and pull it straight rearward to remove it from the tilt adjuster lever

(1) on the left side of the column.

8. From below the steering column, remove the two

outboard screws that secure the upper column
shroud (1) to the lower shroud (3).

9. Using hand pressure, push gently inward on both

sides of the upper shroud near the parting line
between the upper and lower shrouds to release
the snap features that secure it to the lower
shroud.

10. Remove the upper shroud from the lower shroud

and the steering column.

11. Remove the one center screw that secures the

lower shroud to the steering column (4).

12. Remove the lower shroud from the steering col-

umn.

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13. Disconnect the two instrument panel wire harness connectors from the two connector receptacles located below

the steering column on the back of the clockspring housing.

14. Remove the two screws (3) that secure the clock-

spring to the multi-function switch mounting hous-
ing.

15. Remove the clockspring from the multi-function

switch mounting housing. The clockspring cannot
be repaired. It must be replaced if faulty or dam-
aged, or if the driver airbag has been deployed.

16. If the removed clockspring is to be reused, be

certain to secure the clockspring rotor to the
clockspring case to maintain clockspring centering
until it is reinstalled on the steering column. If
clockspring centering is not maintained, the clock-
spring must be centered again before it is rein-
stalled. (Refer to 8 - ELECTRICAL/RESTRAINTS/
CLOCKSPRING - STANDARD PROCEDURE -
CLOCKSPRING CENTERING).

INSTALLATION

WARNING: To avoid personal injury or death, on vehicles equipped with airbags, disable the supplemental
restraint system before attempting any steering wheel, steering column, airbag, seat belt tensioner, impact
sensor, or instrument panel component diagnosis or service. Disconnect and isolate the battery negative
(ground) cable, then wait two minutes for the system capacitor to discharge before performing further diag-
nosis or service. This is the only sure way to disable the supplemental restraint system. Failure to take the
proper precautions could result in accidental airbag deployment.

CAUTION: If the clockspring is not properly centered in relation to the steering wheel, steering shaft and
steering gear, it may be damaged. (Refer to 8 - ELECTRICAL/RESTRAINTS/CLOCKSPRING - STANDARD
PROCEDURE - CLOCKSPRING CENTERING). Service replacement clocksprings are shipped pre-centered
and with a locking pin installed. This locking pin should not be removed until the clockspring has been
installed on the steering column. If the locking pin is removed before the clockspring is installed on a steer-
ing column, the clockspring centering procedure must be performed.

NOTE: Before starting this procedure, be certain that the front wheels are still in the straight-ahead position.

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1. While holding the centered clockspring rotor and

case stationary in relation to each other, carefully
slide the clockspring down over the steering col-
umn upper shaft.

2. Align and seat the hole in the locating tab (2) on

the clockspring case over the locating pin on the
multi-function switch mounting housing.

3. Install and tighten the two screws (3) that secure

the clockspring to the multi-function switch mount-
ing housing. Tighten the screws to 2 N·m (20 in.
lbs.).

4. Reconnect the two instrument panel wire harness

connectors

to

the

two

connector

receptacles

located below the steering column on the back of
the clockspring housing.

5. Position the lower shroud (3) onto the steering col-

umn (4).

6. From below the steering column, install and tighten

the one center screw that secures the lower shroud
to the steering column lock housing. Tighten the
screw to 2 N·m (20 in. lbs.).

7. Position the upper shroud (1) onto the steering col-

umn over the lower shroud. If the vehicle is
equipped with an automatic transmission, be cer-
tain to engage the gearshift lever gap hider into the
openings in the right side of the upper and lower
shroud halves.

8. Align the snap features on the upper shroud with

the receptacles on the lower shroud and apply
hand pressure to snap them together.

9. Install and tighten the two outboard screws that

secure the upper shroud to the lower shroud.
Tighten the screws to 2 N·m (20 in. lbs.).

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10. Align the tilt steering column knob (2) with the tilt

adjuster lever (1) on the left side of the steering
column and use hand pressure to snap it back
into place.

11. Reinstall the steering column opening cover onto

the instrument panel. (Refer to 23 - BODY/IN-
STRUMENT PANEL/STEERING COLUMN OPEN-
ING COVER - INSTALLATION).

12. If a new clockspring has been installed, remove

the plastic locking pin that is securing the clock-
spring rotor to the clockspring case to maintain
clockspring centering.

NOTE: When reinstalling the steering wheel, be
certain to index the yellow rubber booted engage-
ment dowel on the upper surface of the clock-
spring rotor between the two fins cast into the
lower surface of the steering wheel armature hub.

13. Reinstall the steering wheel onto the steering column. (Refer to 19 - STEERING/COLUMN/STEERING WHEEL

- INSTALLATION).

14. Reconnect the steering wheel wire harness connectors to the upper clockspring connector receptacles. Be cer-

tain that the steering wheel wire harness is routed between the steering wheel back trim cover and the steering
wheel armature.

15. Reinstall the driver airbag onto the steering wheel. (Refer to 8 - ELECTRICAL/RESTRAINTS/DRIVER AIRBAG

- INSTALLATION).

16. Reconnect the battery negative cable.

AIR BAG-SIDE CURTAIN

DESCRIPTION

Optional side curtain airbags are available for this
model when it is also equipped with dual front airbags.
These airbags are passive, inflatable, Supplemental
Restraint System (SRS) components, and vehicles
with this equipment can be readily identified by a
molded identification trim button with the “SRS - AIR-
BAG” logo located on the headliner above each A-pil-
lar, or above each B-pillar on quad cab models. This
system is designed to reduce injuries to the vehicle
occupants in the event of a side impact collision.

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